Internet-enabled lab-on-a-chip technology for education.

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101563288 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2045-2322 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 20452322 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Sci Rep Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: London : Nature Publishing Group, copyright 2011-

Internet* ; Students*; Humans ; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices ; Curriculum ; Biological Science Disciplines/education

Despite many interventions, science education remains highly inequitable throughout the world. Internet-enabled experimental learning has the potential to reach underserved communities and increase the diversity of the scientific workforce. Here, we demonstrate the use of lab-on-a-chip (LoC) technologies to expose Latinx life science undergraduate students to introductory concepts of computer programming by taking advantage of open-loop cloud-integrated LoCs. We developed a context-aware curriculum to train students at over 8000 km from the experimental site. Through this curriculum, the students completed an assignment testing bacteria contamination in water using LoCs. We showed that this approach was sufficient to reduce the students' fear of programming and increase their interest in continuing careers with a computer science component. Altogether, we conclude that LoC-based internet-enabled learning can become a powerful tool to train Latinx students and increase the diversity in STEM.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)

Update of: bioRxiv. 2023 May 01:2023.04.28.538776. doi: 10.1101/2023.04.28.538776. (PMID: 37205466)

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1U24MH132628 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; SF857 Schmidt Futures; RM1 HG011543 United States HG NHGRI NIH HHS; NSF2134955 National Science Foundation; U24 MH132628 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; 1RM1HG011543 United States HG NHGRI NIH HHS

Keywords: Biology education; Hispanic education; Internet of Things; Lab on a chip; Latinx education

Date Created: 20240621 Date Completed: 20240621 Latest Revision: 20240715

20240715

PMC11192768

10.1038/s41598-024-65346-0

38906940